Create The Best Me

Eye Health Scare: Finding Strength in Midlife

• Carmen Hecox • Episode 79

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In this episode, I recount my recent scare with blurred vision and the subsequent diagnosis of a posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). This eye condition, while frightening, provided me with invaluable lessons about self-care, patience, and the importance of listening to our bodies. Join me as I share how this health scare became a moment of true grace and reinforced the need to respect our limits during midlife.

 5 Key Lessons:

1. Acknowledge Every Sign: Health issues demand immediate attention, especially when they can escalate quickly. Don't ignore what your body is telling you. 

2. Pace Yourself: Midlife is a time to balance reflection with mindful action, giving ourselves permission to slow down when needed. 

3. Embrace Uncertainty: Life doesn't always come with clear answers. Sometimes, we have to accept uncertainties and trust the process.

4. Redefine Success: Success in midlife isn't about keeping up with past paces but about adjusting our definitions and expectations to fit our evolving selves.

5. Self-Compassion as Strength: Being kind to ourselves, especially during challenges, is not just beneficial but essential. It helps us grow and find peace amidst unpredictability.

 

Call to Action: 

🙌 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more life-changing content! Share your experiences, and let's grow together.

 

Next Week’s Episode:

📅 Tune in next week for an inspiring talk with Annie Gaudreault, a nutritionist and women's health coach, who will share her midlife career change and tips on living a healthier, more active life.

 

📕 Resources: 

https://createthebestme.com/ep079

 

#MidlifeJourney #SelfCare #PersonalGrowth #CreateTheBestMe #VisionHealth #PVD #SelfCompassion #ListenToYourBody #CopingWithUncertainty 

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Imagine waking up one morning to find your clear vision suddenly clouded and blurred. What would you do? Stick around and I'll tell you how a scare like this turned into a lesson in patience and self-care. Last Tuesday, my right eye began to hurt and I noticed my vision was slowly getting blurred. Since eye problems run in my family, I didn't take any chances. I rushed to urgent care, terrified, I was experiencing a retinal detachment. After getting front row seats at the ophthalmologist office and undergoing

several scans, the diagnosis came in:

not a retinal detachment, thank goodness, but a Posterior vitreous detachment, PVD. Ever heard of it? Me neither, until that day. I don't know about you, but hearing" PVD" was just as scary as the symptoms. My perfect 20/20 vision dropped to 20/50 in what felt like minutes. And here's the kicker- there's no quick fix. I was told my vision might improve within a few weeks or even three months. But that's not the end of the story. I had to leave with more questions than answers, waiting on tests that could not be done that day. How do you think I handled that uncertainty? Keep watching and I'll reveal how this moment became A moment of true grace. Why am I sharing this with you on Create the Best Me? Because this eye opening incident,(pun intended), reminded me of the importance of pacing ourselves. Midlife isn't just a time for reflection. It's a time for action too, but a different kind of action. One that respects our limits and embraces our vulnerabilities. Sometimes we can't push to produce at the same pace we used to, and that's perfectly okay. Recognizing when to slow down is a skill, one that takes courage. and honesty. This experience taught me to listen more closely to what my body is trying to say. But how did I really feel about not being able to meet my usual standards? In a moment I'll share why learning to let go and give myself a little grace is not just necessary but liberating. Midlife is our time, a time to be kinder to ourselves, to slow down when needed so we can speed up when it matters. When was the last time you listened to your body, saw a challenge as a chance to step back and say, "I got you"?. Give yourself grace isn't just about accepting limits; it's about redefining what success looks like as we age. So back to my day at the ophthalmologist- there I was, faced with a potentially months long recovery for my vision, yet strangely, at peace, I had embraced the unpredictability with calm I never knew I had. And that's a message I want to leave with you today. In midlife, let's vow to turn our challenges into opportunities for growth and self-compassion. For a copy of today's show notes or transcripts, head on over to createthebestme.com/ep079. Yes, this week I only have show notes instead of my traditional blog post. Thank you for joining me today on Create The Best Me. Don't forget to tune in next week when we will have Annie Gaudreault, a nutritionist and Women's Health Coach, Come on ladies, we don't want to look old, so if you don't want to look old, kick the wine, kick the candy, and increase your protein. Menopause is an invitation to re-look at our habits right. To also, to make time for ourselves and being mindful about, let's talk about eating, for example, right? Because you were just talking about this. Eating like when we were, you know, teenagers is really not going to serve us anymore at menopause. That drop of estrogen, by the way, effects every single system in your body, right? Discussing her midlife career change and how she is now helping women live more active and healthy lives. Until then, keep dreaming big, take care of yourself, and remember you are beautiful, strong, and capable of creating the best version of yourself. Thank you for watching. Catch you next week. Bye for now.